Operation X
by AurelianAce
Summary: Gryphus 1 is deployed on an apparently easy mission, but there is more to this mission that meets the eye. Two-shot set after my first fic Skies of Deception. Rated T for violence (Based on Ace Combat X's special mission, featuring all the original fighters from Ace Combat X along with a couple of special planes more)
1. Chapter 1

**Ace Combat: Operation X**

**Chapter 1**

**DISCLAIMER:****I do not own Ace Combat. Ace Combat is owned by Bandai Namco. Everything else is owned by their rightful owners**

_**AN**:Hello again. I'm AurelianAce, and for Easter Week(or more exactly, from March 27th to April 6th), I'm back with Operation X, as I promised. This will be a two-shot, and, since Operation X is not part of Ace Combat X's campaign, it will be non-canonical, although this is a great spoiler to Skies of Deception(my first fic). I will add some plot and surprises to the fic. But before starting with the story, I want to state that this fic will feature ALL of the original fighters in the game, and a couple more. Also, I'll try to check for typos in Skies of Deception, just to make sure that there aren't any. Without further delay, let the fic begin..._

* * *

_Phuku Lagolla Base, Aurelia, July 29th 2021, 11:33 Hours_

A fighter plane approached the base from the east.

-Tower, this is Gryphus 1. Requesting permission to land.-said the pilot.

-Gryphus 1, you're cleared to land.-said the tower control officer.-Begin landing checks.

The plane's landing gear was lowered, and it began to lose speed as it approached the runway.

The plane, a grey XFA-24 Apalis, landed smoothly and headed to one of the hangars. After stopping the engines, the pilot opened the canopy and took his helmet off. The pilot had black hair in a mohawk, brown eyes, and a scar on his right cheek.

Ángel Román climbed out of the XFA-24 Apalis's cockpit, the next-generation prototype of the multirole fighter built for the Aurelian Air Force, which was expected to enter service in a couple of months.

-Hello, sir.-said Eugene Solano, his long-time friend, who was waiting for him in the hangar.

-You never change, Eugene.-said Ángel, with a broad smile on his face.

Ángel Román, also known as Gryphus 1, the "Southern Cross", or "Nemesis", was a former member of the Leasathian Air Force, but, due to the destruction of his hometown and the dictatorial regime of Diego Gaspar Navarro, he had to flee to Aurelia, where, during the Aurelian-Leasathian War, he managed to redeem himself. After the war, he had married Julieta Álvarez, a paleontologist, on April, and, since then, life had been again kind to him.

-I've always told you that you don't need to call me "sir", Eugene.-said Ángel, patting the AWACS operator's shoulder.-We're friends, after all.

-Sorry, but it's the rules.-replied Eugene.-I wish I could call you by your name.

-Nevermind.-said Ángel, shaking his head, as they headed for the HQ building.-How are things between Monica and you going, by the way?

-I proposed to her on June.-answered Eugene, blushing.-And guess what? She accepted!

-Congratulations!-chimed Ángel.-So, do you have a date for the wedding?

-We're getting married on early October.-said Eugene.-It comes without saying that I'd like you to be my best man.

-It'll be an honor.-replied Ángel.-It's the least I could do.

-I guess the flight was great, right?-asked Eugene, changing the subject.

-Everything went smoothly.-said Ángel.-Still, the stability of the prototype is not as good as I was expecting. Without the proper software, the plane's stability, or lack thereof, will be a dangerous problem to inexperienced pilots. Hell, it's almost dangerous to me.

-In that case, if I were you, I'd make sure that the problem is solved.-said Eugene, matter of factly.

-Believe me, the Defence Ministery will hear of this issue.-said Ángel.-I'll make sure that no pilots die because of a foolish crash.

After having a drink with Eugene in the cafe, Ángel headed to his room. In his room he had a photo of his former squadmates, another photo of his family, who had died during the Leasathian Civil War, and the photo of his wedding.

-"_My God,_"-thought Ángel, as he stared at the photo.-"_I still find hard to believe how gorgeous Julieta looked in her bride dress._"

Sighing, Ángel fell over his bed to have some rest, as he watched the sky over his room's window. It was a beautiful day, and the sky was almost void of clouds.

He was so lost in thought that he almost jumped off his skin when his cell phone rang. He picked up the phone after the initial scare.

-Ángel Román here.-he said.

-Hi, Ángel.-said a sweet, femenine voice.

It was Julieta Román, nee Álvarez.

-Julieta! God bless my ears!-Ángel chimed, smiling as he heard his wife's voice.-It's been so bad I didn't get a leave for so long!

-Don't worry about that.-answered Julieta.-It's just been one month since we last saw each other. How are you, by the way?

-Apart from some test flights, things have been rather eventless here at Phuku Lagolla.-answered Ángel.-But I've got some good news about Eugene and Monica Iglesias.

-What? Tell me.-said Julieta, as her interest grew.

-They're getting married on October.-said Ángel.-And Eugene asked me to be his bestman.

-That's fantastic!-replied Julieta.

-You bet.-said Ángel.-How are you doing, sweetheart?

-Well,... I,...-stammered Julieta. She had news for her husband, and she wasn't sure if it would be a good idea to tell him.

-What's wrong?-asked Ángel, whose smile had dissapeared.-Did something bad happen?

-Yes!... I mean, no!-Julieta answered, stammering again.-It's... kinda complicated...

-Take a deep breath and tell me.-said Ángel.-You know you can trust me.

-OK.-answered Julieta.-Take a seat and try not to freak out.

-Why would I?-asked Ángel, as he sat down on his bed.

Julieta took some deep breaths before answering.

-Ángel, I'm pregnant.-Julieta almost whispered.

Ángel's jaw almost went through the floor all the way to Estovakia out of utter shock. Soon enough, however, his shock was replaced with a tidal wave of joy.

-That's... that's...-the pilot stammered, as he shed tears of joy.-that's wonderful!

-I wanted to tell you in person.-said Julieta.-But since you didn't get a leave for so long...

-Don't worry.-said Ángel.-I'll be back with you soon. Besides, this is wonderful! We're gonna be parents! Nothing can spoil this beautiful moment! Nothing!

Three seconds later, the air raid warning bells went off.

-"_OH, COME ON!_"-though Ángel.-"_This can't be serious!_"

-What's wrong, Ángel?-asked the paleontologist, worried about the faint sound over the phone.

-Something's wrong!-said Ángel.-I have to go. If this is a joke, I'm gonna get mad at the responsible. Goodbye, Julieta. I love you.

He blew his wife a kiss as he hung up. He then put his flight suit on and headed to the hangars as fast as he could. Eugene was waiting for him there.

-Eugene, what's going on?-Ángel asked.-It'd better not be a drill.

-I wish it was.-said Eugene.-Two pilots have stolen two XFA-24 Apalis prototypes and they're heading north over central Aurelia as we speak.

-What!?-asked Ángel.-Who took the prototypes!?

-I don't know.-said Eugene.-But we overheard that there is a group of unknown bogies coming in from the northern coast. The central command said something about some group called Ouroboros.

-Ouroboros?-asked Ángel.-What's that?

-I don't know.-repeated Eugene.-But these two pilots have taken out most of the planes we sent to intercept them. You're the only one who can stop them.

-Ahhhh!-sighed Ángel, as he climbed into the XFA-24's cockpit.-Just when I thought things couldn't get any bad...!

-The bandits are currently heading towards the inland region some hundreds of miles north from Stand Canyon.-said Eugene.-The "Ouroboros" group and the defectors will rendezvous over the central desertic region within two and a half hours.

-Approximately at 14:15, right?-said Ángel.

-Of course. You'll be there in time to intercept them.-Eugene replied, as he headed for the E-767 AWACS.

One of the mechanics headed to Ángel.

-Sorry, sir, but we only had time to rearm your Apalis with standard missiles, gun ammo and 12 XMAAs.-the mechanic said.-Do you think you can make do with that?

-I guess I'll have to.-answered Ángel.

-I hope so.-said the mechanic, as the fighter's canopy closed.-Good luck and godspeed.

Shortly after that, the XFA-24A Apalis, which sported a grey paintjob with light grey nose, canards and wings' leading edges, tail trims, and underside, along with the Aurelian roundels and a cartoonish smiling condor holding the Southern Cross with its beak, taxied to the runway.

-Gryphus 1, you are cleared for takeoff.-said the tower control officer.

The XFA-24's thrust vectoring engines roared as they were set on full afterburner, and the plane took off shortly thereafter, retracting its landing gear after gaining altitude.

-Gryphus 1, altitude restrictions cancelled.-said the tower control officer.-Return to your mission. Good luck!

Gryphus 1 headed to the west to intercept the defecting planes.

Little did he know, however, that, despite the mission seemed quite simple, it would turn out to be one of the most challenging ones he would ever face.

_Inland desertic region, Aurelia, July 29th 2021, 14:15 Hours_

Gryphus 1 had just arrived to the area. Two XFA-24 Apalis had arrived from the south, and were escorted by two YR-302 Fregatas. The four planes were painted in black.

****(A.N: Obviously, our protagonist doesn't know the designation and performance of most of the enemy planes. Sorry for the interruption.)****

Gryphus 1 tried to contact the Apalis pilots, but before he could, the four planes fired on him. Gryphus 1 evaded the attack by inches.

-"_I'm not going down. Not now that I know I'll be a father, and to Julieta's child nonetheless!_"-mused Gryphus 1.

He saw the YR-302s zooming past him, as the XFA-24s attacked him. Gryphus 1 was surprised by how fast the Fregatas gained speed.

-"_This will certainly be a problem for me. It seems like those planes can go faster than a MiG-31 Foxhound!_"-he thought.

However, before he could think of a plan to destroy the YR-302s, the XFA-24s attacked him from behind. Gryphus 1 evaded the attack again. He didn't know whether the pilots were aware of the XFA-24s's lack of stability or not. He switched to XMAAs and fired two of them towards the enemy Apalis. One of them hit its target, but the other one evaded the attack. Thankfully, the evasive maneuver put the enemy pilot in a dangerous position. Gryphus 1 took his chance and fired his guns. Since the plane was fitted with an automatic guns aiming system, he didn't need to align too much with his target. A short burst of guns was enough to take out the last XFA-24 Apalis.

-Crux, the Apalis are down.-Gryphus 1 reported to the AWACS operator.-But there are still bandits in the area.

-Affirmative.-replied Crux.-I can get faint bleeps on the radar. Even the bombers are stealthy.

-Bombers!?-said Gryphus 1, freaking out.-Where!?

-It seems that the planes escorting the defecting XFA-24s were bombers. We have reports that they attacked anti-aircraft position on their way here using FAEBs. There are also more bandits inbound from the north.-answered Crux.-We cannot confirm what aircraft you're facing, but you have to take them out.

Gryphus 1 attacked the YR-302s with XMAAs. Both of them were hit, but the bombers were still flying, and seemed to be ready to fight back. Gryphus 1 had never seen anything like that, and he had taken out an invisible airborne fortress and the infamous XFA-33 Fenrir. He realized, however, that the YR-302s were not very maneuverable, and that he could exploit that flaw if he got close enough to the Fregatas. The YR-302s attacked him from both his 6 and his 12 o'clock. Gryphus 1 realized the mistake they just made, and used his guns to take out the one in the front, pulling up immediately after. The other YR-302 dodged the debris of the destroyed plane, but Gryphus 1 got behind him and fired his guns, shooting down the last bomber.

Suddenly, a couple of black XR-45 Cariburns appeared from the north, and attacked him with XLAAs. Gryphus 1 dodged the missiles, but found himself within range on the enemy fighters, which were very fast and nimble. They had forward swept wings like those of the Su-47 Berkut, and they seemed lethal in close range combat. Gryphus 1 attacked the two XR-45s, but they were able to outmaneuver him and fire on him, although Gryphus 1 himself was able to evade their attacks by the skin of his teeth.

-"_Oh, crap! What have I got myself into?_"-mused Gryphus 1.

He switched to XMAAs and got a lock on to both of the XR-45 Cariburns, but they evaded the missiles with ease. However, one of them got himself in a precarious position, and Gryphus 1 seized his chance and fired. The Cariburn was shot down with a very short burst of guns, which meant that the XR-45s had little armor. The other one, however, was behind him and fired on him. Gryphus 1 evaded again, but he couldn't shake the bandit off. After a whole minute, that seemed like an eternity for Gryphus 1, he got behind the last Cariburn and fired his guns, shooting the bandit down.

Gryphus 1 thought his problems were over, but in that instant, the alarm blared in his plane's cockpit. Two YR-99 Forneus were behind him, and they were firing on him. Gryphus 1 broke hard desperately trying to evade the attack. The YR-99s were very maneuverable and stable, and to make matters worse, their stealth technology allowed them to remain undetected even when they were in front of the enemy. However, that only worked at long range, and in a dogfight, Gryphus 1 could lock on to them as if they were normal fighters. But that meant that Gryphus 1 had to stay close to the YR-99s. Gryphus 1 took a calculated risk and attacked one of the two YR-99s. A single XMAA flew towards the Forneus and shot it down in a close range attack. But the other managed to hit Gryphus 1 with his guns, making him lose control for a moment.

-"_That's what I get for being hit as I pilot a plane with low stability._"-he thought, as he regained control of the plane.

The hits were not severe enough to shoot him down, but they certainly did a number on his plane. In retaliation, Gryphus 1 fired another XMAA to the enemy plane, shooting it down.

Then things got even worse. Two black X-02 Wyverns and two black XFA-27s had surrounded him and charged at him from his 3, 6, 9 and 12 o'clock. Gryphus 1 pulled down to evade the attack of the lethal fighters, but not before the four planes fired on him. Gryphus 1 broke hard to evade the attacks, and the missiles slammed into the ground. He then switched to XMAAs and fired a final volley on the enemy planes, but a XFA-27 and a X-02 Wyvern evaded the missiles. Gryphus 1 headed for the XFA-27 first, and using his guns, destroyed the enemy plane, but the X-02 fired his guns on him, hitting the XFA-24 and making it stall.

-"_Crap! Not again!_"-thought Gryphus 1, as he struggled to regain control of the plane.

Fortunately, he managed to regain control of the plane before it crashed. Gryphus 1 switched to standard missiles and attacked the X-02 Wyvern, shooting it down. However, before Gryphus 1 could take a breather, he was attacked by four ADF-01 Falkens painted in black, which used their TLSs to attack him.

-"_Seriously!? Now lasers? This is madness!_"-thought Gryphus 1, as he evaded the lethal lasers.

He tried to attack the Falkens, but they evaded him with ease. Every time the ADF-01s fired at him, Gryphus 1 broke out of their way, since his experience with the MBSRs was too terrible to forget. After a couple of minutes of intense maneuvering, Gryphus 1 managed to find an opening in the ADF-01s's strategy and shot one of them down with a couple of standard missiles. The other three attacked Gryphus 1 with missiles. The AAF pilot evaded them by inches, and destroyed another ADF-01 with missiles. The surviving ADF-01 Falkens used their lasers to attack the XFA-24, but failed. Gryphus 1 tried to maintain his momentum and attacked the two ADF-01 in a bold move, attacking one with missiles and shooting the other one with gunfire. It turned out that his gambit worked, since both fighters were shot down.

-Crux, this is Gryphus 1.-said Gryphus 1, after shooting down the enemy planes.-All targets destroyed.

Crux took a look at his radar and went pale.

-Negative, Gryphus 1.-said Crux.-Six bandits are heading towards your position from the north.

-What!? More bandits?-asked Gryphus 1.

-Yeah, and you're not going to believe who's leading the formation!-gasped Crux.

-Neeeemesiiiis...-said a voice. One that Gryphus 1 knew all too well.

The voice of Roberto Testón, a.k.a Alect 1, sent shivers over his spine. His nemesis was back from the dead.

-You... you...-stammered Gryphus 1.-You were killed over Sentry Island! This cannot be possible!

-Oh, but I'm back, alive, and not alone!-replied Alect 1.-I came back to settle the scores with you!

-How many deaths will it take for you to leave me alone?-asked Gryphus 1, as the formation of enemy planes headed for him from afar.-Besides, Navarro is dead!

-This is no longer for Navarro or anything.-answered Alect, calmly.-This is a final round between you and I. Or better said, between my group and you.

Alect 1, behind the controls of the infamous XFA-33 Fenrir in his squadron's livery, leaded a formation of six planes, which included an X-02 Wyvern with a white paintjob with blue trims, a white ADFX-02 Morgan with black underside and a bloody red right wing, a CFA-44 Nosferatu with a red and black paintjob, a white XFA-27 with red trims, and a bloody red ADF-01 Falken.

-Alect 1, engaging.-said Alect 1.

-Strigon 1, engaging.-said the CFA-44 pilot.

-Z.O.E Commander, engaging.-said the ADF-01 pilot.

-Solo Wing Pixy, engaging.-said the ADFX-02 pilot.

-Mobius 1, engaging.-said the X-02 pilot.

-Scarface 1, engaging.-said the XFA-24 pilot.

The six enemy planes attacked Gryphus 1, with Solo Wing Pixy and Z.O.E Commander breaking formation and flanking him, and the other four planes engaging Gryphus 1 head-on. Strigon 1 used the ADMMs to attack Gryphus 1. The AAF pilot froze when he saw twelve missiles heading towards him, but broke as hard as he could to evade the attack. The twelve missiles slammed into the ground, but the XFA-27 fired four missiles in fast succession to Gryphus 1. Gryphus 1 evaded those missiles, but found himself dangerously close to the X-02 Wyvern, which fired two QAAMs to the AAF pilot. The missiles followed the XFA-24 for 30 seconds, as Gryphus 1 twisted like a bat out of hell to evade them. As soon as he shook them off, Gryphus 1 was attacked by Alect 1 himself, who fired a SASM to destroy him. Again, Gryphus 1 evaded the attack by the skin of his teeth, only to see the ADF-01 and the ADFX-02 firing their laser on him. To make matters worse, the ADFX-02 used its ECM system, which protected the plane in every direction except its 12 o'clock. Gryphus 1 attacked the ADF-01 with missiles as soon as he got behind him, but a rear-mounted machine gun shot down his missiles.

-"_Oh, no! I'm not going to make it!_"-thought Gryphus 1.-"_I can't find any openings in their strategy. They can fire advanced weapons, and block my attacks!_"

The six planes surrounded him in a mauling. Gryphus 1 in the most desperate situation he had ever faced. He had ran out of XMAAs, he was running rather low on ammunation, he was outnumbered by 6 to 1, and his plane was slightly damaged by the previous engagements.

He went for the extreme and attacked the ADF-01 head-on. He knew he ran the risk of being hit by its laser, but it was better than just staying there and wait for the bandits to shoot him down. Z.O.E Commander evaded the bullets, but was him by the missiles.

-"_What!? He's taken two hits and he's still flying!_"-thought Gryphus 1, as he flew out of the death circle.

The six fighters followed him shortly thereafter, firing on him as soon as they could. Gryphus 1 evaded the lasers and missiles making the missiles crash or hit between each other, and turned around to attack Z.O.E Commander, shooting him down with a burst of guns.

-Z.O.E Commander is down!-reported Scarface 1, as he attacked Gryphus 1.

Gryphus 1 evaded a volley of four standard missiles. He tried to chase the XFA-27, but it turned out that it was very fast and maneuverable. Besides, the remaining four fighters attacked him with everything they had before he could think of a plan. Gryphus 1 shook the attacks desperately. The XFA-27 attacked him again, and Gryphus 1 retaliated by firing two missiles to the enemy plane. Neither Scarface 1 nor Gryphus 1's missiles hit the targets, but Gryphus 1 managed to hit the XFA-27 with his guns. Scarface 1 turned around to attack Gryphus 1, firing four missiles to him. Gryphus 1 evaded the attack and fired his guns, destroying the XFA-27's engines and the fighter itself.

-Scarface 1 is down!-reported Solo Wing Pixy.-I'll take care of Nemesis.

The ADFX-02 Morgan fired its laser to Gryphus 1. He evaded the attack, but the attack left him in a disadvantageous position, as Alect 1, Mobius 1 and Strigon 1 attacked him again. After making the missiles crash into each other or the ground, Gryphus 1 attacked the Morgan, but Solo Wing Pixy activated his ECM defence system, forcing Gryphus 1 to attack him head-on. He fired two missiles to the right engine intake, and his guns to the left one, damaging the ADFX-02. Solo Wing Pixy was forced to jettison his TLS pod in order to keep his plane under control, and attacked Gryphus 1. The ADFX-02 fired its guns to Gryphus 1, hitting him, and making him lose control of his plane.

-"_Dammit, not again!_"-he thought, as he struggled to regain control of the plane.

When he was just 500 feet away from the ground, he managed to pull up and attack the Morgan, hitting the plane's engine air intakes and destroying it.

-Solo Wing Pixy is down!-said Strigon 1, attacking Gryphus 1 with another ADMM barrage.

Gryphus 1 evaded the lethal attack, but Mobius 1 and Alect 1 fired on him as soon as Gryphus 1 thought he was in the clear. The attack allowed Strigon 1 to get behind Gryphus 1, engaging him in a rolling scissors maneuver. Gryphus 1's heart was struck with fear, as his XFA-24's stability was very low. Miraculously, the CFA-44 Nosferatu disengaged after eight turns, which, much to Gryphus 1's relief, meant that the enemy plane was even less stable that his. He fired a couple of missiles to the CFA-44, but Strigon 1 evaded the attack. Gryphus 1 seized the chance and fired his guns on the enemy plane, shooting it down after a rather long burst.

-Strigon 1 is down!-said Mobius 1.-We'd better work together to take him down, Alect 1! This guy's good!

Mobius 1 and Alect 1 fired on Gryphus 1 simultaneously. Gryphus 1 made the SASM and the QAAMs slam into each other, and attacked Mobius 1. But Mobius 1 pulled a Kulbit and fired his guns on Gryphus 1, hitting him, and making him lose control. Gryphus 1 pulled up just in time to avoid a crash, and counterattacked by firing two missiles to the X-02 Wyvern. Mobius 1 evaded with ease and retaliated by firing two missiles on the XFA-24, but he missed, albeit by mere inches. Gryphus 1 tried to save the gun ammunation he had left, since he had ran rather low on ammo after the constant dogfighting. He attacked Mobius 1 head-on and fired two missiles when the X-02 locked on to him. Mobius 1 was too close to evade both missiles and was hit by one of them, but the damage he had taken was very light, much to Gryphus 1's chagrin. Mobius 1 attacked him with QAAMs and Alect 1 fired another SASM to shoot Gryphus 1 down. Gryphus 1 evaded the attacks and engaged Mobius 1 again, firing two missiles on him before he had an opportunity to evade.

-Wow, Nemesis!-cheered Alect 1.-I'm impressed you made it this far! You even shot down the legendary Mobius 1!

-What's... the meaning... of this?-asked Gryphus 1, gasping for air. He was exhausted after the constant engagements.-What more do you want?

-It's simple.-said Alect 1.-As I said before, I want to settle scores with you. This time, without political or ethical interests in mind. This will be the ultimate test.

-Can't you just... get over it?-replied Gryphus 1.

-No.-answered Alect 1, coldly.-I want to find out who is the best of the two of us.

-This... this is madness!-said Gryphus 1.

-No, this is the moment when we find out who is the ace of aces.-said Alect 1, attacking Gryphus 1.

Gryphus 1 evaded Alect 1's attack. He felt as if his whole body was on fire, trying to evade Alect 1's constant assault. Furthermore, his plane was low on gun ammunation and damaged. He was not sure he could make it.

-"_No, I can't give up!_"-he mused.-"_I can't do this to Julieta. Not now!_"

Drawing strength from his weakness, Gryphus 1 engaged Alect 1 using his missiles. He fired two of them as soon as he got on his tail, but Alect 1 evaded them with ease using the thrust-vectoring engine of the XFA-33 Fenrir. Alect 1 got behind him and fired his guns. Gryphus 1 was hit again, and stalled.

-Come on, Nemesis. I thought you could do better than that!-chastised Alect 1, as Gryphus 1 fell to the ground.

Gryphus 1 regained control of his plane at an altitude of just 300 feet.

-I should have known.-said Alect 1, shaking his head in amusement.-If you're done stalling, let's get this over with!

Gryphus 1 attacked Alect 1 with two missiles. Alect 1 was hit by one of them, but that missile dealt little damage to the Fenrir.

-Haha, struck a nerve?-said Alect 1, sneering.-I will make sure you regret your mistake, Nemesis!

Alect 1 chased Gryphus 1 in a wild dogfight. The evasive maneuvers were taking a toll on Gryphus 1, as he grew weary by seconds. Somehow, he managed to get behind Alect 1 again and fired two missiles on him, but, although both of them hit Alect 1, he was not shot down. Alect 1 turned around in an extremely sharp turn and fired on the XFA-24 with his guns, damaging the plane.

-_Warning! Warning! Critical engine overheat!_-said the on-board computer of the XFA-24.

-"_No shit, Sherlock!_"-mused Gryphus 1.-"_I wonder why _I_'m not dead yet._"

Gryphus 1 pulled as hard as he could to evade Alect 1, and got behind him. Two more missiles flew towards the XFA-33, but Alect 1 evaded them. Alect 1 fired another SASM, but Gryphus 1 evaded it. The AAF pilot was running out of options. It seemed obvious that Alect 1 would evade any missiles he could throw at him, and his gun ammo was below 50% of its maximum capacity.

-"_I have no other choice._"-thought Gryphus 1.-"_I have to use my guns to take him down._"

Gryphus 1 attacked Alect 1 head-on, firing his guns as soon as he was in range. A short burst was enough to take Alect 1 down. The Fenrir flew away trailing black smoke.

-Seems like I lost. Again.-said Alect 1, as the alarms blared in his cockpit.-It's hard for me to say this, but you're a real ace, Román.

-Why have you done this?-asked Gryphus 1.

-I will not repeat myself yet again.-replied Alect 1.-What matters is that we fought and I lost.

The XFA-33 bursted in flames shortly after.

-Boy, it was great fighting against you...-said Alect 1, as his plane dissintegrated.-Gryphus 1...

Gryphus 1 was rather moved by how Alect 1 had taken his defeat.

-"_To think that this very same pilot was an evil, bloodthirsty demon..._"-mused Gryphus 1.

-Crux, this is Gryphus 1.-he said, taking deep breaths.-Enemy squadron destroyed.

-Affirmative. Return to...-said Crux, before seeing a lone blip on his radar.-Wait a second, we have another contact.

-What!?-said Gryphus 1.-Where!?

-Incoming from the north!-answered Crux.

-Another enemy?-asked Gryphus 1.

-Well, its IFF shows that this contact is friendly.-said Crux.-But it's heading towards us at full speed!

_To be continued..._

* * *

First chapter of Operation X. You might be wondering why I made Mobius 1 and Scarface 1 bad guys in this fic. Well, there are two reasons: I couldn't find any named enemy aces that piloted the XFA-27 or the X-02 Wyvern (believe me, I tried T.T(Also, Scarface 1 WAS an enemy ace in Operation X)), and I decided to feature named aces piloting planes that first appeared in the games they were first (and most of the time, only) featured. I hope you like it. It took me longer than expected to write this one (Three days, actually). As always, reviews and faves are very welcome, and don't be afraid of criticizing my fic, as long as the critics are constructive, of course (flaming is not welcome, however) Good luck and take care. See you next time

EDIT(14/5/2015): Changed Fenrir's designation to the one it received in the 9th update of Ace Combat Infinity.


	2. Chapter 2

**Ace Combat: Operation X**

**Chapter 2**

_Inland desertic region, Aurelia, July 29th 2021, 14:22:26 Hours_

_Unknown pilot's POV:_

The pilot headed straight for the highest altitude target, wrath coursing through his veins. Everyone he knew seemed – no, actually held him back since the very first day. But finally, the time for retribution had come. Amongst the clouds, the pilot saw the lone silhouette of an E-767 plane.

In the very first moment he spotted the plane, he sneered wildly. He was certain who was inside that plane. He switched to XMAAs and fired two of them on the unsuspecting AWACS.

_Inland desertic region, Aurelia, July 29th 2021, 14:23 Hours_

_Gryphus 1's POV:_

Gryphus 1 heard faint missile alert over the radio, and his blood froze as he realized what was going on.

The unknown contact had fired on Crux!

-CRUX! EVADE!-he shouted in desperation

But, almost as soon as he said that, he saw Crux's radar signature fade away.

-Crux, respond!-Gryphus 1 repeated time and time again.

However, the stark realization set in. Crux had been shot down, and Eugene had died in the attack.

-"_Eugene, no..._"-Gryphus 1 thought, as his eyes began to brew tears.-"_NOOOOOoooo...! Who the hell is the responsible!?_"

Almost as an answer to his unspoken question, a lone F-22A Raptor streaked out of the clouds from the north. It was painted in red.

-"_Could this be another Z.O.E unit?_"-Gryphus 1 thought.

However, the F-22A's paintjob was, unlike Z.O.E Commander's ADF-01 Falken's solid red paintjob, seemed to be a simple palette swap of the AAF's F-22s.

-An Aurelian pilot...-Gryphus 1 murmured under his breath.-Seems like we have yet another defector on our hands...

The F-22 turned around and flew beside Gryphus 1's XFA-24 Apalis. It positioned itself at Gryphus 1's 2 o'clock.

-Aurelian pilot, state your call...-Gryphus 1 began to say.

But what he saw as he glanced to the F-22 left him speechless and trembling in terror.

The F-22 bore low-visibility marking of the Aurelian Air Force, and an emblem that was very familiar to Gryphus 1, or at first sight, that was what it would seem. The condor of the emblem, instead of a teasing, yet almost friendly smile, bore a vicious grin, a freezing, dangerous stare, and the Southern Cross in its beak seemed to bleed due to the strength the condor used on its beak.

The other pilot saw Gryphus 1's emblem. What he saw enraged him.

-You!-growled the pilot, in a voice that sent a horrifying chill down Gryphus 1's spine.-How dare you bear that emblem!?

-"_NO! IT CAN'T BE!_"-thought Gryphus 1.-"_IT'S IMPOSSIBLE!_"

-Answer my question now, scum!-repeated the pilot of the F-22A.

-I'm Gryphus 1!-replied Gryphus 1, in a trembling voice.-But you... you are... you can't be...

-YOU!? GRYPHUS 1!? Don't make me laugh!-replied the pilot.-_I_ am Gryphus 1! The one and only Ángel Román, formerly known as Nemesis!

****(A.N: From now on, I'll refer to the "good Gryphus 1" as Gryphus 1, and the "evil Gryphus 1" as Nemesis. Sorry for the interruption and enjoy the chapter.)****

-No, you're not!-Gryphus 1 answered.-You cannot be!

Gryphus 1's reply was received with a chuckle from Nemesis.

-Everyone can dream, you pathetic copycat!-said Nemesis.-But you're going to need more than that absurd excuse for an emblem.

-You're the fake one.-retorted Gryphus 1.-I would never kill Eugene. Why did you do that to him? He was my friend! And he didn't even get married yet!

-Well, sucks to be Eugene!-quipped Nemesis, laughing savagely.

-You bastard!-said Gryphus 1, clenching his fist.-Just what the hell do you want!?

-It's simple: revenge.-answered Nemesis.

-But Navarro died a long time ago!-said Gryphus 1.

-Navarro was nothing but a filler character on this game!-answered Nemesis.-I want to take revenge on those who held me back!

-What do you mean!?-asked Gryphus 1, fearing the answer.

-Those who didn't help me achieve my true potential.-replied Nemesis.-Those so-called friends and beloved ones!

-Your true potential!?-repeated Gryphus 1, not believing his ears.-Murdering and betraying is your _true _potential!?

-Believe what you want!-scoffed Nemesis.-Nothing and no one will stop me from having my revenge. Not even you. And when I'm through with you, I'll pay a visit to a certain someone. In case your pea-sized brain can't help you guess who, I'll give you a tip: she loves dinosaurs!

Gryphus 1 realized who Nemesis was talking about even before he heard the tip.

-Leave Julieta out of this, you murderous psycho!-Gryphus 1 shouted.

-Striking nerves seems to be my speciality.-said Nemesis.-Oh, I can almost see it happening! It will be almost too easy: how she will open the door to what she thinks it is her beloved husband and how her smile turns into a grin of terror when she realized what lies behind the mask! That will be the prize she'll pay for holding me back!

Gryphus 1's blood froze at how his evil self talked about how he would kill Julieta. A new lash of terror struck him when he remembered what she told him about her pregnancy.

-That's it! I'M NOT LETTING YOU HARM ANYONE ELSE!-roared Gryphus 1 as he hit the brakes and tried to get behind Nemesis.

However, before he could, Nemesis had dissapeared.

-"_Where the hell did he go?_"-thought Gryphus 1, frantically looking for Nemesis.

Nemesis appeared behind him shortly after.

-You've always been too slow!-mocked Nemesis, as he fired his guns.

Gryphus 1 was hit and almost lost control. Nemesis laughed meanwhile.

Gryphus 1 attacked Nemesis firing two missiles. Nemesis evaded them with unnatural ease, pulling maneuvers that seemed impossible for a pilot. Gryphus 1 chased him relentlessly, firing missiles whenever he got a good lock, but, without AWACS support, it seemed to be almost impossible. Nemesis taunted Gryphus 1 pretending to get in a good position and breaking when he fired. His plan was to exasperate Gryphus 1 to the point of mental breakdown, and then, shoot him down. In the case that Gryphus 1 ejected, he would fire on his parachute to sent him plummeting to the ground.

-"_Boy am I going to enjoy this!_"-thought Nemesis, seeing Gryphus 1 sway from one side to the other restlessly.

Gryphus 1's movements began to become sloppier by the moment. He had been dogfighting since 14:15 hours, and his plane would need a total overhaul back on Phuku Lagolla. If he made it through that nightmare alive.

-Your fate is sealed, fake.-taunted Nemesis.-The sooner you accept it, the better for you!

Gryphus 1 was certain that Nemesis was going to kill him, and then he would go after his beloved ones. He struggled to fight back with everything he had, but Nemesis evaded him every time.

After three minutes of fruitless combat, Nemesis decided to put an end to it. He got behind his opponent and fired two missiles on Gryphus 1. He managed to evade one of them, but the other hit the already damaged Apalis, sending it spiralling to the ground.

Gryphus 1 struggled to regain control of his plane, but failed time and time again. As he fell, he saw the faces of his friends and loved ones.

-"_I can't give up now! I can't let him take my place and kill my beloved friends! It's thanks to them I'm not the monster I'm fighting against now!_"-he thought.

At an altitude of 100 feet, Gryphus 1 managed to level his plane, avioding a fatal crash. Nemesis laughed as Gryphus 1 climbed back and headed for him.

-So, you still have some fight left in you?-Nemesis said.-No matter what you do, you'll never defeat me. I'm the best of you!

Gryphus 1 frowned at Nemesis's remark.

-You're playing to be a better version of me, but you're wrong.-Gryphus 1 said.-You're not the best of me, you're the worst of me. You're all my negative qualities come to life! And I don't know how you managed to exist, but your minutes are ticked!

-Stop talking big!-growled Nemesis.-It's utterly annoying!

-You asked for it!-shouted Gryphus 1, heading towards Nemesis at top speed.

Nemesis evaded Gryphus 1's attack. Gryphus 1 turned around to attack Nemesis, decided to take him out, no matter the cost. He locked on to the red F-22 and fired two missiles. Nemesis evaded them with ease.

-"_I'll save my gun ammo for when he's very damaged._"-thought Gryphus 1.-"_Last thing I need is wasting more ammo._"

Gryphus 1 kept chasing Nemesis, firing missiles every time he got a lock on, but Nemesis evaded everything Gryphus 1 threw at him. It was certain that Nemesis was not going down without killing him.

After two minutes, Gryphus 1 changed his strategy. He got a lock on to Nemesis and fired a single missile. Nemesis evaded it, but it was just was Gryphus 1 was waiting for, since he fired a missile just after Nemesis dodged the first one. The second missile hit its target, but that wasn't enough to shoot the F-22 down.

-HOW DARE YOU...!?-growled Nemesis.-You'll pay for that!

Gryphus 1 didn't bother to answer. Nemesis turned around and fired on him. Gryphus 1 evaded the worst of the attack, but was hit again by a handful of stray bullets.

-_Master warning! Structural alert!_-blared the XFA-24's on-board computer time and time again.

As he looked behind him to make sure that Nemesis wasn't behind him, Gryphus 1 saw the extent of the damage on his plane: the whole fuselage was covered in bullet holes and it spewed black smoke and flames.

-"_At this rate, I'm not going to make it._"-he thought.-"_I can't stay on the defensive with this guy. It's time for an all-or-nothing attack!_"

Gryphus 1 turned around and headed straight towards Nemesis. He fired two missiles and squeezed the cannon trigger during the whole run. Nemesis was hit and shot down, but his plane's debris hit the XFA-24 Apalis and destroyed it.

But not before Gryphus 1 ejected.

As he slowly fell to the ground, he took a glance at the spot where Nemesis had been shot down. There was no sign of him having ejected or anything.

-"_It seems that, in the end, my worst enemy was no other than myself..._"-Gryphus 1 mused.

He hit the ground half a minute after ejecting. Exhausted, the pilot sat down, as the events of the engagement ran through his head. After a minute, he stood up.

-I guess a SAR team will come for me, sooner or later.-Ángel murmured.

Then, suddenly, a violent earthquake struck the area. The whole area roared as the rocks were shaken by the earthquake. However, Ángel had the feeling that someone was calling him.

The force of the earthquake made him lose his balance and he fell backwards, hitting the back of his head with a rock, falling unconscious...

_Griswall, Aurelia, July 29th 2021, 01:02 Hours_

Ángel Román was awaken from his sleep by his wife, Julieta Román.

-Ángel, what's wrong?-said Julieta.-You were talking in dreams. Was it another nightmare?

Ángel squeezed his brain, looking for an answer. He recalled the events of the dream: an apparently simple mission, unknown fighters, the return of Alect 1 with a squadron of aces, and his engagement against his evil side.

-Well, I can't say it was a nightmare.-he finally answered.

-Are you sure?-asked Julieta, hugging him.-You sounded really afraid.

Ángel was moved by how worried his wife seemed. Even in the dark of his room, Julieta's eyes seemed to shine with a beautiful light.

-Julieta, I would never lie to you.-he said, kissing his wife's head tenderly.-It was not a nightmare.

Julieta sighed with relief, and kissed Ángel's lips.

-Thank goodness.-sighed Julieta.

-But still,-said Ángel.-it was the weirdest dream I've ever had.

_Meawhile, on USEA..._

Simon Orestes Cohen turned off his computer, pleased with the results of his tests.

-Seems like my program works perfectly. The combat simulation of the Southern Cross against aces from around the world and himself was a success.-he said to himself, as he read the results of the combat scenario he had simulated.-Maybe in the future this program will allow me to predict the results of a whole war. Soon, Project Nemo will be a reality...

_Griswall, Aurelia, July 29th 2021, 09:31 Hours_

Ángel Román was washing his face, after having not enough sleep due to his dream. Despite being sure that it was not a nightmare, his dream felt rather real, and that was something that scared him. However, he realized something else: the one he was facing was not him, but actually the one who the Aurelian-Leasathian War had created: a ruthless, bloodthirsty pilot; the very same kind of person he vowed never to be again.

He dried his face with a towel and headed for the kitchen. The house's temperature and humidity were regulated thanks to a computer monitoring all kinds of conditions.

Ángel finally arrived to the kitchen. Julieta was having her breakfast: toast with honey and coffee.

Ángel tiptoed his way up to Julieta and hugged her when he was close enough.

-Eep!-gasped Julieta, almost spitting coffee on the table.-Ángel, don't do that again!

-Sorry, honey...-said Ángel, ashamed of his rather childish behaviour.

-No, I meant that I don't like you to startle me like that.-admitted Julieta.-The hug itself was rather welcome. Good morning, by the way.

Ángel sighed in relief. After kissing his wife on the neck, earning a blush from her, he picked up a bowl of cereals and took his electronic newspaper. He read a rather interesting article about the creation of the Confederation of USEA, a confederate state created by the Usean Continent countries, which aimed for a new era of economic prosperity for the whole continent, along with the creation of new corporations, such as Neucom Inc. However, he also read another article, one that he didn't like all that much.

It was the creation of General Resources, a Belkan corporation that was intended to replace Gründer Industries. The very same corporation that supplied weapons to Navarro.

Julieta was peeking on Ángel's electronic newspaper, and she knew why her husband's face had went pale. Ángel had told her that it was former member of Gründer Industries who had provided support to the deceased dictator.

-Ángel, please, don't worry about that.-said Julieta.-Navarro is no longer an issue, and I don't think Leasath or Aurelia would want to go through more strife again.

-I know.-answered Ángel.-What I'm worried about is that they can find another person like Navarro himself.

-No matter what happens, I'll always be by your side.-said Julieta, holding Ángel's hand tightly.

Ángel smiled thanks to Julieta's promise. With her, no matter what, he could brave the worst of storms.

* * *

Second and final chapter of Operation X. Well, I hope you enjoyed this fic. I added some elements from Ace Combat 3 Electrosphere. Until this summer, I'll only be able to answer reviews. But once again, I'll return, I promise. Good luck and take care. Until we meet again

EDIT(5/4/2015): Added an extended ending.


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